Thyroid people- dealing with the cold

[funtimefrank]

I have mild auto immune thyroid issues. Too mild to medicate.

My only real symptoms is a total inability to deal with the cold. I get cold very very easily and cannot for the life of me warm up. I find it a bit distressing and get very emotional about it which is weird in itself.

I woke up shivering at 4.30 this morning and although covered in duvet, blanket and dressing gown, didn't warm up.

The irony is when I do finally get myself warm I often then overheat and find it difficult to cool down. It's cold in my core rather than extremities so not as easy as putting on socks and gloves.

Can anyone relate and how do they cope. I am wfh and I find myself getting colder each day.

I have this from around October onwards. I almost always wear vests and leggings under my clothes and cardigans over the top. I become exhausted after shivering and so I need to rest more often if I get cold. It is horrid but you can mitigate it somewhat.

Being cold makes me feel miserable too. I spend most of the time with my coat on. Having a bath warms my core up before bed. Being pregnant really solved it, but that’s a fairly extreme solution!

Hot drinks are your friend too! I have found that I have a tremor which tends to manifest after shivering too. You need to try and stay as warm as possible to prevent this and don't overdo things. I think that your thyroid has to dip a long way in this country before they medicate, unlike other European countries. It might be worth exploring alternative remedies. I find wearing heat patches for joint pain helps too, it seems to help to prevent my core going cold. When my core temperature drops I feel that my core is shivering and trembling which takes hours to recover from. I am sorry you're going through this. Best wishes to you and I hope you are feeling better soon.

This sounds really miserable, to me it would be enough to want to medicate it. Have you considered that? Or is it that the medics are refusing?

Agree with pp that should be enough to warrant thyroid medication.

Failing that, maybe try a hot water bottle on 'standby' - at the very bottom of your bed - so it's not overheating you when you don't need it, but you can easily get it if needed in the middle of the night.

During the day I wear a base layer of thermal 'leggings' in cold weather. Very fine mesh type ones from an outdoor shop. The ones I mean can be worn under jeans. I got mine from an outdoor/hiking shop - mine say 'icebreaker' on the label. They weren't cheap but they have lasted years and got a lot of use during the winter months. I could not survive without them in colder weather!

I take levothyroxine and also feel the cold. The last few days I've been feeling terrible, shivery all the time, I think the extreme drop in temperature over the last week hasn't helped to adjust.
I find if I keep my feet warm then it helps to keep the rest of me warm - around this time of year I start to become a bit obsessed with finding warm socks and slippers.
I've also just ordered some cashmere fingerless gloves that I've heard everybody say are fantastic - by a company called turtle dove. Still waiting for them to arrive so I will feed back and let you know if they are any good. I'm a bit like you I terms of temperature regulation so I sleep under a massive winter duvet with pyjamas on but have the window open!
This may be obvious but when you are feeling particularly cold it helps to move around, I usually go for a brisk walk or do the hoovering - always helps to warm me up a bit more.

Thanks for all of these, really helpful

I take levothyroxine and I do get that 'cold in my core' feeling. I wear pure silk vests and leggings. They are very expensive but I've built up a collection over the years. They form a very thin, but very warm base layer. Nothing synthetic has ever come close to the toasty feeling I get from them. I wear wool or cashmere outer layers and have sheerling lined slippers for home. I also bought a silk duvet a few years ago which is ultra warm. I find a hot shower also works to warm up. I've heard good things about cashmere wrist warmers and wool duvets but not tried either. It's utterly miserable being so cold.... I hope you find what works for you.

Hat! I have a cashmere hat which really helps. I wear it indoors quite a lot

Not so helpful at night though.